“Now, here comes a businessman who has been persistent in his quest to obtain approval for a major development on this prime agricultural site. One can understand his wish. He is a businessperson who has had successes, and he is to be congratulated for his successes where they have not been harmful to public interests. Like many other business people, he has taken risks. He bought land adjacent to an interstate, central to the state and not so far from our capital. He speculated that due to its location it would be prime development land. Business people take risks – that is fine. Some risks pay dividends, and often the dividends are great, in part in recognition of the risk. But not all risks generate rewards. That is why they are called risks! We, the public, do not owe a reward for every business risk taken.”
— Helen Whyte, member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, sourced from vtdigger.org commentary

“I have worked for the State Information and Welcome Centers for over 27 years. Almost half the time either working or supervising the Randolph site. It gas (sic) always been very difficult to get people to drive the 3 little miles off the interstate to take advantage of what there is to offer downtown. I still have that problem now. They want to get off and right back on the interstate.” — Donnie MacAdams’ post on Exit 4 Open Space Facebook page

“The effectiveness of the Act 250 protections for valuable farm land is being sorely tested. When it comes to farming, Vermont should not erode its strong Act 250 protections. Instead Vermont’s support for farming should be as hardworking as its farmers. Our actions speak louder than our words. We cannot say we support farming if our decisions drive more and more farmers off the land.”
— Sandra Levine, Senior Attorney, Conservation Law Foundation

“Randolph is where the wondrous mountain beauty of Vermont is first dramatically presented to the northbound driver. It’s a place I treasure, and its value lies far beyond the aesthetic. It‘s money in the bank for Vermont, an investment far beyond anything one patch of real estate can produce, for it instantly affirms to newcomers that Vermont really is a place to which they must return. My profound hope is that it stays the way it is.” — Howard Coffin, NPR

“To permit this project would mean essentially gutting Act 250 and abandoning the principles that have for so long made Vermont stand-out as a beacon of beauty and environmental responsibility above all and any other state. […] I kind of think the appeal of Vermont for tourists is that, even now, its largely rural environment; its lack of billboards and clutter, links us to a cultural memory that other places have left far behind.” — Sue Prent, Green Mountain Daily

The proposed massive development along I-89 South consisting of43 buildings (1.15 million square feet) on 172 acres
(majority of which, 132 acres, are considered primary agricultural soil *)
* statistic taken from “Fight over Exit 4 Land Begins”, Valley News, May 23, 2015

Exit 4 Open Space is a group of Randolph area residents who believe that the proposed development of the “Green Mountain Center” at Exit 4 will permanently damage the working landscape of this region, the viability of our unique downtown, and local tourism. This mixed use project, totaling 1,150,000 square feet located on 172 acres, will replace an iconic view shed and prime agricultural land with large-scale development designed to profit non-local entities, which will adversely impact our local economy. The promise of good jobs for local people has been elusive at other, similar, interstate development projects. The community we cherish will never recover if the proposed development proceeds. Also, large-scale development at Exit 4 would damage this valuable resource appreciated by travelers through central Vermont.

Therefore, we have come together as Exit 4 Open Space to alert the citizens of the region as to the consequences of this development proposal. We will perform research, attend hearings, provide testimony, distribute information and spare no effort to protect our way of life based in a working landscape, not urban sprawl. Please join us in efforts to conserve this irreplaceable local resource.